Melbourne Football Club has partnered with Breast Cancer Network Australia for the 20th year in a row to support the annual Pink Lady Match this weekend. Meanwhile, Telstra has doubled down on its commitment to the AFL, expanding into grassroots and developmental footy.
Welcome back to B&T’s Spotlight on Sponsors series, where we break down all the major sponsorship news from inside the sporting world.
So, without further ado, here are the biggest sponsorship stories coming out of the sporting world over the last week.
Breast Cancer Network Australia x Zurich Financial Services x Melbourne Football Club
Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) and Melbourne Football Club (MFC) will mark their 20th year of partnering as this year’s annual Pink Lady Match returns to the MCG on Saturday night, June 22. This year’s theme for the night game is a play on “More than a Game,” to amplify the work that is done by BCNA to support, connect and be a voice for all Australians impacted by breast cancer.
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In a first, Zurich Financial Services (Zurich) has helped strengthen the theme of “More than a Name” by providing their logo space on the front of MFC run-out t-shirts to highlight the names of Australians affected by breast cancer – the only time in MFC history a team sponsor has used its logo space in support of charity. “Zurich is proud to use its logo space to recognise those impacted by breast cancer and to raise awareness and funding for Breast Cancer Network Australia,” Linda Griffin, Head of Brand, Marketing & Corporate Affairs at Zurich, said. “With the rate of breast cancer diagnosis increasing in Australia, it is more important than ever to support such an important cause”.
“BCNA are so grateful to MFC for their continued support with the Pink Lady Match,” said BCNA CEO Kirsten Pilatti. “Likewise, to Zurich, who have graciously allowed us to use their logo space on the warmup tops to amplify our cause and ultimately offer all Australians affected by breast cancer visibility through this iconic match”.
The Demons have a long history of supporting BCNA and Australians impacted by breast cancer, with the Pink Lady Match a highly anticipated game on their fixture. “To have our players representing those impacted by breast cancer is a great opportunity which allows us to raise critical awareness of BCNA’s important work,” Melbourne CEO Gary Pert said. “The initiative is a fantastic collaboration, and we thank Zurich for their support of our long-standing partnership with BCNA and for allowing this important cause to take centre stage”.
This year’s guard of honour will include 2022 The Amazing Race Australia winners Toni and Heath.
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Toni, who was first diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2021 at the age of just 31, said breast cancer has completely changed her view and philosophy on life moving forward. “I want to seize each and every day and try not to stress about the small stuff, and most of it is small, really,” she said. “You should all grasp every day like it could be your last and enjoy life”.
Hungry Jacks x NBL
The partnership between the NBL and Hungry Jack’s will continue for an additional five seasons with the Home of the Whopper continuing as the competition’s Naming Rights Partner. Hungry Jack’s has been an integral part of the NBL’s rapid growth, helping it become a world-class sports entertainment product and the second-best basketball competition outside of the NBA.
In a major win for fans, the hugely popular and successful Hungry Jack’s free cheeseburgers promotion will return, with all fans in the venue and everyone in the respective state receiving a Hungry Jack’s free cheeseburger if the away team misses two consecutive free throws. The new deal will see Hungry Jack’s remain a partner of the NBL until at least the end of the 2028/29 season.
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“Hungry Jack’s is a much loved and truly iconic Australian brand, and it has stood with us through thick and thin. We simply wouldn’t be where we are today without the unwavering support and commitment of Jack Cowin and the Hungry Jack’s team, and we thank them for their loyalty,” NBL CEO David Stevenson said.
“While our partnership is longstanding, we feel this is just the beginning and we have much still to achieve together. We look forward to Hungry Jack’s helping the NBL continue to be the fastest growing sports organisation in Australia,” NBL chief commercial officer Adam Richardson said.
Telstra x AFL
The AFL has announced that Telstra, its existing major partner, has expanded its partnership and will also support the stars of the future as the naming rights partner for the AFL and AFLW Drafts and AFL and AFLW Rising Star Awards in 2024.
Telstra, a valued supporter of the AFL and its communities for more than 20 years, will back footy young guns as the Telstra AFL Rising Star award recognises the best young player for 2024 in both the Toyota AFL Season and the NAB AFLW Season. Telstra will award a grand prize of $15,000 to each winner.
Telstra will also support the up-and-coming drafts with the Telstra AFL Draft and the Telstra AFLW Draft taking place later this year, where AFL and AFLW Clubs select their next stars of the game.
“Telstra is a valued partner, including backing local footy via the Telstra Footy Country Grants program, which supports clubs nationwide. We are delighted to have Telstra add to their partnership by supporting the young guns of our game with the Telstra Rising Star awards and Telstra Drafts,” said AFL executive general manager customer and commercial Kylie Rogers.